#Third wave knocked at Mumbai

[doonitedin]

तीसरी लहर की दस्तक? इस शहर में बेतहाशा बढ़े बच्चों और टीनेजर्स में कोरोना के मामले

तीसरी लहर की दस्तक? इस शहर में बेतहाशा बढ़े बच्चों और टीनेजर्स में कोरोना के मामले

मुंबई: देश में कोरोना वायरस (Coronavirus) की दूसरी लहर का असर लगभग खत्म सा हो रहा है. थोड़े समय की राहत के बाद तीसरी लहर का खतरा लगातार मंडरा रहा है. एक्सपर्ट्स कह चुके हैं कि तीसरी लहर का ज्यादा असर बच्चों पर देखने को मिलेगा. आंकड़े इसकी पुष्टि कर रहे हैं. इस बीच खबर है कि मुंबई (Mumbai) में एक हफ्ते में करीब 40 बच्चे कोरोना पॉजिटिव पाये गये हैं. तैयारी के दावों पर उठे सवाल कोरोना की तीसरी लहर…

[newstfionline]

Headlines

Laura upgraded to Category 4 hurricane (CNBC) Hurricane Laura, a major Category 4 storm, is set to hit near the Texas-Louisiana border on Thursday morning as local officials scramble to evacuate thousands of residents. The storm’s rapid intensification shocked scientists and prompted forecasters to issue warnings of “unsurvivable storm surge” in Texas and Louisiana. “Unsurvivable storm surge with large and destructive waves will cause catastrophic damage from Sea Rim State Park, Texas, to Intracoastal City, Louisiana, including Calcasieu and Sabine Lakes,” the National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday. “This surge could penetrate up to 30 miles inland from the immediate coastline.” The storm battered the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Haiti over the weekend, knocking out power for more than 1 million people, collapsing some homes and killing at least 23 people. Laura is headed toward an area that comprises more than 45% of total U.S. petroleum refining capacity and 17% of oil production, according to the Energy Information Administration. As of Tuesday, producers shut down roughly 84% of offshore production in the Gulf as many refinery plants along the Texas and Louisiana coasts shutter in anticipation of life-threatening storm surge.

Extreme weather (Washington Post) Across the United States, there are signs of climate disaster. In California, two of the worst wildfires in the state’s history took place simultaneously, scorching more than a million acres of land, including a beloved forested national park. On the Gulf Coast, residents of Louisiana and Texas braced for an unprecedented double-hurricane event churned up by exceptionally warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. In other parts of the Northern Hemisphere, the summer has already seen its toll of heat waves and heavy rains. Record-breaking temperatures in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad this July had my colleagues blistering their hands simply by touching the handle of an office door. The coastal Indian metropolis of Mumbai experiences seasonal flooding every year, but was hit by a year’s worth of rain in the space of a month this summer. Higher-than-average rainfalls in the past weeks led to an arc of destruction from central Europe to the Turkish Black Sea coast to southern China, where, in a grim omen, rising waters submerged the toes of a towering Tang dynasty-era statue of the Buddha that has stood for more than 13 centuries. “This year’s flooding has unfolded not as a single natural disaster, with an enormous loss of life and property,” noted the New York Times, “but rather as a slow, merciless series of smaller ones, whose combined toll has steadily mounted even as official reports have focused on the government’s relief efforts.” Experts are broadly convinced that a steady uptick in extreme weather events of recent years is at least in part the result of man-made climate change. “It seems like every year re-ups the previous year in terms of pushing the envelope, in terms of how much fire we’re seeing in the landscape and how severe that fire is,” Neil Lareau, an atmospheric scientist, told the Guardian about the California wildfires.

Lawyer says Blake paralyzed, protests erupt for 3rd night (AP) Jacob Blake, the Black man shot multiple times by police in Wisconsin, is paralyzed, and it would “take a miracle” for him to walk again, his family’s attorney said Tuesday. The shooting of Blake on Sunday in Kenosha—apparently in the back while three of his children looked on—was captured on cellphone video and ignited new protests over racial injustice in several cities, coming just three months after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police touched off a wider reckoning on race. Some demonstrations devolved into unrest, including for a third night in Kenosha, where three people were shot and two people were killed during the protests overnight, according to Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth.

US crackdown on nonessential border travel causes long waits (AP) A Trump administration crackdown on nonessential travel coming from Mexico amid the coronavirus pandemic has created massive bottlenecks at the border, with drivers reporting waits of up to 10 hours to get into the U.S. An employee at a company that provides support for businesses with Mexican operations saw the huge lines Sunday night from his home in Tijuana, Mexico. A U.S. citizen, he lined up at midnight for his 8 a.m. shift Monday in San Diego and still arrived 90 minutes late. U.S. citizens and legal residents cannot be denied entry under a partial ban that the Trump administration introduced in March to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Going to work, school and medical appointments are deemed essential travel but going to shop, dine or socialize is not. The crackdown comes after U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it surveyed about 100,000 travelers coming from Mexico by car or on foot and found 63% of U.S. citizens and legal residents traveled for reasons that were not essential.

Mexico struggles to get in shape (AFP) With martial arts training on rooftops, virtual exercise classes and outdoor workouts, Mexicans are getting creative as they try to slim down during the pandemic in one of the world’s most obese countries. Mexico has the world’s third-highest coronavirus death toll—and the government says poor diets and health problems including obesity, hypertension and diabetes are partly to blame. Social distancing measures mean gyms remain closed in much of the country six months after the outbreak began, posing a major hurdle to efforts to get Mexicans in shape. “It’s incredible that the bars are open and exercise is almost going underground, because there are gyms that open secretly,” Romero, a 27-year-old physiotherapist, tells AFP. Mexico has the world’s highest obesity rate among children and the second-highest among adults, according to the government.

German Town Fears Ruin by U.S. Effort to Stop Russian Pipeline (NYT) Sitting on the Baltic Sea, the small eastern German town of Sassnitz has been working for years to revive its enormous port, including taking on a role supporting a Russian pipeline being laid offshore to deliver natural gas to Germany. But the port, one of the last great infrastructure projects undertaken by the former East Germany, now finds itself caught up in a geopolitical competition between the United States and Russia, a clash that local officials and residents say is threatening the town and region with economic ruin. At issue are so-called secondary sanctions being proposed by powerful U.S. senators to target companies doing business with Russia and the Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom to finish the pipeline, Nord Stream 2, which is 94 percent complete. The port would fall under the sanctions because of the role it plays supplying provisions to a Russian pipe-laying ship involved in the project. The penalty, if the sanctions are imposed, would mean being cut off from the United States “commercially and financially,” and effectively excluded from the global financial system. The port would essentially be turned into an international pariah, with all its business drying up—not just its work supplying the Russian ship. To German officials and residents in Sassnitz, the sanctions against the port and the company that owns it, Fährhafen Sassnitz, are puzzling and infuriating. They threaten to turn Sassnitz into collateral damage as the town struggles to create enough jobs to keep young people from leaving. “They are firing their cannons at sparrows,” said Edgar Taraba, as he unloaded a morning’s catch of flounder and sole from his dinghy. “There is nothing left here to take.”

Greece battles coronavirus resurgence after early success (AP) Workers in bright yellow vests stand on the dock in Greece’s main port of Piraeus, greeting hundreds of masked ferry passengers with fliers and the occasional temperature check. “Would you like a coronavirus test? Yes, it’s free. Right over there, in the white structure, you’ll see the signs,” they tell disembarking passengers. Free on-the-spot tests for travelers returning from Greek islands where outbreaks have occurred is the latest in an arsenal of measures authorities are using to tackle a resurgence of COVID-19 in a country that has so far managed to dodge the worst of the pandemic. New localized restrictions, including a midnight curfew for bars, restaurants and cafes and a ban on large gatherings have been imposed, mainly in popular tourist destinations such as the Aegean Sea island of Mykonos. The number of confirmed virus cases and deaths in Greece remains lower than in many other European countries, but have been increasing.

France joins military exercises in east Mediterranean (Reuters) France is joining military exercises with Italy, Greece and Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean amid a worsening dispute between Turkey and Greece over energy resources in the region, Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said on Wednesday. Tensions between Turkey and Greece escalated after Ankara sent its Oruc Reis survey vessel to disputed eastern Mediterranean waters this month, a move Athens has called illegal. “The eastern Mediterranean is turning into an area of tension. Respect for international law must be the rule and not the exception,” Parly said on Twitter, adding that it “should not be a playground for the ambitions of some.” Relations between France and Turkey have soured in recent months over Ankara’s actions in NATO, Libya and the Mediterranean.

Army helicopters to pluck people from flooded Karachi city (AP) Pakistan’s military said Wednesday it will deploy rescue helicopters to Karachi to transport some 200 families to safety after canal waters flooded the city amid monsoon rains, displacing scores of people, officials said Wednesday. Although rains have lashed many parts of Pakistan, the southern port city of Karachi, located near the Arabian sea, has been the hardest-hit. Streets were flooded Tuesday with sewage water. Sewage and drainage systems in the city are outdated.

Indian lawyer in court over critical tweets (Foreign Policy) Prashant Bhushan, a prominent public interest lawyer from India, was due to be sentenced yesterday over two tweets he posted criticizing the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In one tweet, Bhushan accused Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde of hypocrisy after he posed with a motorcycle without a mask, despite having put the Supreme Court in lockdown due to coronavirus concerns. In the other post, he said the Supreme Court’s recent activity showed “how democracy has been destroyed in India” under Modi. The Supreme Court has called the tweets a “calculated attack on the very foundation of the institution of the judiciary,” but the case is emblematic of the authoritarian slide India has taken since Modi first assumed power in 2014.

Russian Evangelicals Fined for ‘Missionary Activity’ During Pandemic (Christianity Today) Anatoly Chendemerov was handing out tracts that said “You must be born again!” in the Volga Federal District in southeastern Russia. He was fined 6,000 rubles, the euqivalent of about $80. Sergey Krasnov was passing out Christian newspapers and New Testaments in Krasnodar, a city in the South. He was fined 5,000 rubles, or about $65. Seo Jin Wook, a South Korean, met with about 10 people in a private home in Izhevsk, in the Western Ural Mountains, to talk about the good news of Jesus Christ. He told the people they should come back and bring friends. He was fined 30,000 rubles (about $400) and deported. More than 40 people have been charged with violating a Russian anti-missionary law in the first six months of 2020, according to a new report from Forum 18, a religious liberty news service based in Norway. Government lockdowns and pandemic stay-at-home orders did not substantially slow the multiyear crackdown on unauthorized religious activity. Russia passed a 2015 law that said all religious meeting places needed to be registered and followed it in 2016 with an anti-missionary law. The bill was labeled as anti-terrorism legislation, meant to prevent foreign extremist from exerting influence in the country. Local police, sometimes supported by the Federal Security Service, have fined roughly 100 religious people per year for practicing their faith. Baptists distributing tracts and Muslims teaching people the language skills necessary to read the Qur’an are prime targets, alongside ongoing efforts to completely rid the country of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

US-China trade disputes (South China Morning Post) China should weaponize its exports of medicines and drug precursors if the US cuts the country’s access to computer chips, a prominent Chinese academic and government adviser says, as supply chain security emerges as a key theme in the upcoming American presidential election. The United States is heavily reliant on imported medicines from China, something both US President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden have vowed to address after the coronavirus pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in the nation’s pharmaceutical and medical device supply.

With Hacks and Cameras, Beijing’s Electronic Dragnet Closes on Hong Kong (NYT) To get onto his Facebook account, the police used Tony Chung’s body. When officers swarmed him at a Hong Kong shopping mall last month, they pulled him into a stairwell and pinned his head in front of his phone—an attempt to trigger the facial recognition system. Later, at his home, officers forced his finger onto a separate phone. Then they demanded passwords. “They said, ‘Do you know with the national security law, we have all the rights to unlock your phones and get your passwords?’” Mr. Chung recalled. Emboldened by that new law, Hong Kong security forces are turning to harsher tactics as they close a digital dragnet on activists, pro-democracy politicians and media leaders. Their approaches—which in the past month have included installing a camera outside the home of a prominent politician and breaking into the Facebook account of another—bear marked similarities to those long used by the fearsome domestic security forces in mainland China. Not accustomed to such pressures, Hong Kong lawmakers and activists, and the American companies that own the most popular internet services there, have struggled to respond. Pro-democracy politicians have issued instructions to supporters on how to secure digital devices. Many have flocked to encrypted chat apps like Signal and changed their names on social media.

Workations in Japan (Nikkei Asian Review) Workations are a reliable way that Japanese companies are getting workers to relax in a new environment on the company dime, and also support a tourist industry that’s been devastated by national shutdowns. The Japanese government launched a 1.3 trillion yen ($12.6 billion) travel campaign, angling to get people moving around the country which saw a 99.9 percent year-over-year decline in foreign visitors in the four months leading up to July and business down at travel companies 92.9 percent in June. One solution has been basically a surge in corporate retreats, where companies will send groups of employees to work on the beach on the cheap to lift morale while encouraging some R&R, and the government is actively encouraging it. Japan’s domestic tourism industry struggles because most people tend to travel at specific times—summer and year-end—and workers take the fewest paid holidays of 19 countries and regions and just half their allotted vacation on average.

Outbreak in Gaza (Washington Post) The Gaza Strip has been under degrees of lockdown since 2007, when Israel and Egypt imposed blockades after the militant group Hamas took control of the impoverished Palestinian territory. The same conditions that make life a daily struggle there, and that have obstructed even the most basic preparations for the looming threat of a coronavirus outbreak, have perhaps made it harder for the virus to find a toehold. That could be about to change. The coastal enclave’s few points of entry were largely shut in March. But Tuesday, the territory of nearly 2 million people imposed a 48-hour lockdown after authorities reported the first four confirmed cases of the virus in the general population. For months, aid agencies have warned that the silent spread of the virus through the conflict-weary strip could be calamitous. Gaza has one of the densest populations on Earth, a collapsed health-care system, and small supplies of electricity and clean water. Health-care workers are bracing for further signs of a wider outbreak among already vulnerable communities.

[vjestyca]

💕 / for either pyra, Kala, or dani

@motherfckngroundhog / @iceswimming | meme. ]kala x wanda x dani | 4. the one where you and your soulmates have matching marks and the marks glow when you’re near your soulmates. }

—          IT’S A RARE thing truly.  more than one mark.  when wanda was born, one was more noticeable than the other; it’s etched across her collarbone and shaped like a wave, crest twisted in on itself, tail flicked down.  the other is no less beautiful (shaped like a sun, that same twisted spiral in the center), but is situated low on her ankle.  as she grew, it was unfortunately hidden beneath socks and boots and long skirt hems, but that didn’t mean people didn’t find out sooner or later.  both are inky midnight black.

‘those relationships never work’.  it’s not the first time wanda hears such a thing, sees people avert their eyes whenever she turns to meet their gaze.  she learns to ignore it.  and if those people’s drinks or food or whatever is in their hands at the time happen to blow up in their faces, nobody can prove it was her doing.

in hydra, the marks are the only things that keep her head clear.  they give her hope, make her keep fighting because there are two people out their waiting for her.  she’d sit, trace the marks with the curve of her blunt nails.  on more than one occasion, hydra tries to remove them.  each time, the mark return, as dark and noticeable and beautiful as the originals.

she meets the first after she joins the avengers.  it’s one of the first missions they ever take her on.  cap trusts her.  he and natasha and clint have been training her for this.  wanda sticks at clint’s side, follows along.  she’d always wanted to travel, and india was on her list, but this was never the way she imagined it.

the archer and witch slip into a room.  wanda notes the smell of chemicals.  she tries not to scrunch her nose, instead focusing on the hostages and the men tearing through desks of scientific equipment and medication.  clint goes one way, so wanda goes the other, towards the hostages.  she crouches low, starts to untie the wrists of one of them.  there’s a distracting heat high on her chest, but she doesn’t realise where it is until -

❝ your mark, ❞     the woman says.  wanda pauses, brows creasing a moment, then her gaze dips.  peeking from the woman’s shirt collar is a glow, a bright slash of colours lighting up her skin.  the twist of the mark is a familiar sight.  she doesn’t get the chance to immediately reply, thrown back into the fight as a gun fires in their direction.  (she’s lucky to get a shield up before it hits either of them.  the bullet hangs in the air, hugged by red magic).

she finds out later the woman’s name is kala.  wanda thinks she’s lovely.

unfortunately, wanda cannot simply stay in mumbai.  and kala cannot come with her back to america.  they exchange numbers, the witch presses a kiss to kala’s cheek, then she steps away onto the plane.  as they leave, wanda stares down at her chest until the glow disappears.

they talk as often as they can.  the different timezones make it difficult, but they do what they can.  wanda’s chest is set aflutter every time she sees kala’s face pop up in video.  they talk about their pasts, their families, wanda talks about her powers, one day kala tells her about the people she’s connected to.  (something called ‘sensates’.  wanda doesn’t quite understand it, but her own powers are mysterious things so she’s not naive to strange genetics).

things do not stay so easily for long.

the sokovia accords happen.  kala runs away to join her cluster.  wanda and her teammates are broken out of raft, and then she’s on the run all over again.  it’s all burner phones, trying to keep in touch however they can without putting either in danger.  in the dark of lonely nights, wanda presses a hand to her collarbone, closes her eyes, thinks about kala and the mystery other person.

one night (or at least, night for her), wanda finally manages to get the computer from steve for the night, rings up kala, waits to see if she’ll answer tonight.  a smile breaks across wanda’s face as she sees her.  they chat for a little while, then wanda hears a door open and shut in kala’s background and the woman lights up, a kind of giddiness crossing her features as she says something about a ‘surprise’.

wanda does not expect the surprise to be their third.  their other.  their sun mark.

her name is daniela velazquez.  she yanks off her boot and reveals the spiral-centered sun.  it glows with swirls of orange and yellow and green.  as she sits beside kala, wanda stares at the glowing wave on their collar, bright with pink and blue and violet splatters.

they don’t meet in person until everything is settled.  wanda travels to paris, she steps out onto the eiffel tower, watches her marks glow brighter and brighter as she walks until she sweeps kala and dani into a hug.

pyra x wanda | 29. the one where your soulmate’s ghost haunts you when they die. }

—          THE FIRST TIME it happens, wanda throws a hex and it goes right through it and she breaks a bookshelf that charles had just had repaired.  (the last time it broke was due to a nightmare-induced wave of magic.  she doesn’t talk about it.  she wonders if charles reads her mind to find out what it was.  she doesn’t ask).  truthfully, she’s not sure what to make of it.  her. they.  the ghost.  nobody else can see it.  or hear it.  when pyra knocks things over, they say it was wanda using her powers.

she asks around about it.  hank tells her soulmates, how some people are haunted when their soulmates die.  for a while, wanda’s sad about it; then, weirdly, the ghost  ...  changes?  different clothes, different hair, different cause of death.  it happens again and again and again.  sometimes, the ghost tells her different names.

one day, she sees just the barest glimpse of the other and breaks into a dead sprint to catch her.  not the best choice of things to do, no ordinary person would be okay if some stranger started running at them.  such thoughts don’t enter her mind when she does it, but she needs to catch pyra before she can disappear.

finally, wanda catches up, stares at the other, her soulmate.  looks like the ghost, talks like the ghost.  the witch doubles over, props her hands on her knees as she sucks in deep breaths  (running had never been her forte).

she heaves out, between huffs and pants: ❝ you need to be more careful not to die. ❞ 

[supervidyavinay]

By Dhwani PandyaIndia’s Dharavi, the continent’s most crowded slum, has gone from coronavirus hotspot to potential success story, offering a model for developing nations struggling to contain the pandemic.Authorities have knocked on 47,500 doors since April to measure temperatures and oxygen levels, screened almost 700,000 people in the slum cluster and set up fever clinics. Those showing symptoms were shifted to nearby schools and sports clubs converted into quarantine centers. Fresh daily infections are now down to a third compared with early May, more than half the sick are recovering, and the number of deaths plummeted this month in the tenement where as many as eighty residents share a toilet.The numbers are in stark contrast to the rest of India, whose daily tally of new infected cases has quadrupled since early May. Located near Mumbai’s financial district, Dharavi’s dogged approach to “chase the virus” could be a template for emerging markets across the world, from the favelas of Brazil to shanty towns in South Africa.“It was next to impossible to follow social distancing,” said Kiran Dighavkar, assistant commissioner at Mumbai’s municipality, who is in charge of leading the fight in Dharavi. “The only option then was to chase the virus rather than wait for the cases to come. To work proactively, rather than reactively.” 76367332Officials were initially worried as positive diagnoses rose, but it meant people didn’t have to wait to get sick. Dighavkar and his team made it clear that screenings and testing would continue even as the count increased -- their objective was to keep deaths limited.“We were able to isolate people at early stages,” Dighavkar said. “Unlike in the rest of Mumbai, where most patients are reaching hospitals at a very late stage.”The strategy has helped reduce mortality and improve recovery. About 51% of Dharavi residents who test positive eventually recovered, better than Mumbai’s 41% rate. Fresh infections are down to an average 20 a day from 60 in early May. India, meanwhile, added more than 11,000 cases on June 13.A strict lockdown and accessible testing was part of Dharavi’s strategy. If someone was not feeling well and wanted to get tested, just get institutionally quarantined and on-site doctors will take care of it.However, Dighavkar knew none of this would be possible without gaining the community’s trust. Home to nearly a million people where a family of seven may be living in a 100-square feet hutment, word travels fast in Dharavi and small gestures help.For instance, Ramadan -- the Muslim holy month -- was crucial. Those in isolation centers were concerned about how they’d keep up with rituals, such as breaking their religious fasts at sunset. Authorities ensured they got fruits and dates and distributed proper meals at appropriate times while all others received three meals a day.Free ServicesEveryone in the isolation centers also received round-the-clock medical supervision free of cost, even as millions around the country lost their jobs due to the nationwide lockdown and reports trickled in of people dying before they were allotted hospital beds.Once word got around, people would volunteer themselves to be quarantined as soon as symptoms appeared, according to Dighavkar.There should never be any pressure on keeping the number of cases low, he said, adding that the focus instead needed to be on screening and timely treatment because the ultimate aim was to save lives.Yet, Dharavi’s war against the virus is far from over. Once shelter-at-home restrictions are fully lifted in Mumbai and the bustling city goes back to work, there’s a risk of a second wave of infections.“The battle can’t be over until the virus has gone from the entire city, state and country,” said Dighavkar. “People are quite aware now of how to be safe and I think by the time the lockdown ends, most of us may have got herd immunity. Or so we hope.” from Economic Times https://ift.tt/2UEkzVJ

[todaybharatnews]

via Today Bharat nbsp; How spooky is it really if everyone except the characters knows there's a bhoot about?A scene from Bhoot: Part 1. A scene from Bhoot: Part 1.Rating: Bhoot: Part 1 mdash; The Haunted Ship (A, 117 min)Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, Ashutosh RanaDirection: Bhanu Pratap Singh Our relationship with horror movies is simple and straightforward: You scare us, we like you. Donrsquo;t scare us, we donrsquo;t like you. There is no confusion, no complication in what directors and producers must expend their energy and monies on while working on a spooky. By all accounts, Ram Gopal Verma, who has made a few memorable and many forgettable horror films, is not an easy man to know. As has been reported often, based mostly on his lofty pronouncements on Twitter, he has scant regard or respect for mainstream Bollywood, especially the familial fiefdoms run by the sons and daughters of Bollywoodrsquo;s big old daddies. So ugly and bizarre have these silly tiffs gotten that Karan Johar once responded to one of RGVrsquo;s bitchy tweets by saying that he was glad to find the Satya director was still alive. And yet, the story goes, that recently when Karan Johar called up RGV to ask for the title Bhoot, the director happily said, sure, take it, enjoy. But having watched RGVrsquo;s 2003 Bhoot, starring Ajay Devgn and Urmila Matondkar, and Bhoot: Part 1 by Bhanu Pratap Singh now, I sense that behind that generosity lay a malevolent chuckle and the cocky conviction that a horror film under the aegis of Karan Johar will be an item of such peculiar stupidity that it would be a worthy opportunity for future insults. He wasnrsquo;t wrong. Bhoot: Part 1 opens with an interesting reload of Dharma Productionsrsquo; diya-rangoli logo that forms to Kuch Kuch Hota Hairsquo;s signature tune. But after that, despite a cast of very capable actors, the film dips into Bollywood's smelly sea of tired, trite, done-to-death cliches of the horror genre to tell the story of families and the janam-janam ka bond that family members share. A paarivarik melodrama, if you please, with some pret aatmas hovering about. As the film opens, we see, through the lens of a camera, a child being recorded over several years. For a bit, we donrsquo;t know who is recording, or why, till we do.It seems mommy is recording cute baby Meera for the pleasure of her absent daddy. Then, on board a ship, we meet the merchant navy daddy on Meerarsquo;s third birthday. While the family is busy celebrating her birthday, Meera, carrying her stuffed doll who sings when pressed, seems distracted by someone. She smiles and then follows it. Cut to several years later in Mumbai where Prithvi (Vicky Kaushal) is staring at his framed wedding photos. He works for a shipping company and has the same merchant navy uniform and stripes that Meerarsquo;s daddy had. In flashback we see happy times mdash; Prithvi in love with Sapna (Bhumi Pednekar) who is expecting Megha. But the present seems lonely and sad. Almost immediately we follow Prithvi as he is knocking on large cargo containers in search of girls being trafficked. It seems, he will risk his life and limb to save someone, anyone. This scene is meant to tell us about Prithvirsquo;s saviour zeal and later we figure out why he is overcompensating. Suddenly one day a huge, abandoned ship drifts onto the shores of Juhu beach and moors itself. There is no one on board Sea Bird, but a haunting story accompanies it. This set up is not bad at all. A huge, silent, daunting intruder arrives at Mumbairsquo;s doorstep, where a man is in search of a mission. Prithvi, already troubled by his past, is now stalked by something or someone from the ship. In between flashbacks of what transpired on Sea Bird and in Prithvirsquo;s life, the doll makes sudden, sometimes scary appearances. Prithvi has a dear friend, Riaz, who looks out for him and keeps telling him not to get involved in other peoplersquo;s business. But Riazrsquo;s wife senses something amiss and takes him to one Prof. Joshi (Ashutosh Rana) who waves about what we can call a Pret-Aatma Thermostat whose needle and beeps indicate the proximity of ghosts. The film, after interval, is devoted to unravelling the mysteries of two families and, apart from the singing, stalking doll, involves a very bendy young bhootni who is inspired by ladies from The Grudge and The Ring. As the antics of the bura saya increase, Riaz takes to smoking while the film wastes the talents of Vicky and Ashutosh Rana who, if he had been given a chance, could have scared the daylights out of us. But here he is a dull character saddled with dead lines and an idiotic gizmo. Despite the bhoot-beeping gadget, when it comes to saving self and others from bad aatmas, he resorts to Bollywoodrsquo;s favourite chant mdash; ldquo;Om-shom, boom-broom, hreem-kleem Chamumdayahellip;rdquo; mdash; while sprinkling stuff. Eventually, via an old camera and some dusty files, the film winds its way to a mother, Vandana, in a church who gives a dard bhari look while wearing a very nice red dress. We then land in what was once known by all as the Secret Room on the ship. Errrhellip; I mean if everyone knew, how could it be thehellip; Ok, never mind. The Secret Room is where a story of betrayal and a father who failed his own family meet. All must now redeem themselves and put ghosts of the past and present to rest because, you see, family is everything. So trained and well-versed are we in the tricks and treats of the black arts that almost as soon as Bhoot: Part I opens, we figure that there is a stalking bhoot, while the residents of the film donrsquo;t. So, when characters do stuff that is guaranteed to pique the interest of bhoots and bhootnis, we laugh loudly at their ignorance. Like when a couple goes on board the Sea Bird and the girl decides to hide in a locker and whispers ldquo;Bhooooootrdquo;. Since we know exactly what will happen to her, we chuckle at her silly obtuseness and imminent passage to the afterlife. In fact, we are so in on the whole bhoot-bhootni business that when, late at night, there is a knock on Prithvirsquo;s door and he goes to open it, members of the audience in the hall shouted comments and instructions at him: ldquo;Abe check toh kar le.rdquo; ldquo;Koi nahin hai.rdquo; And after Prithvi sees no one and is closing the door, ldquo;Ye le. Aa gayi andar.rdquo; This predictability is engaging and inadvertently funny for a while, till it gets tiring and dull. In horror films, impending danger is scarier than creatures shouting, making faces and crawling up and down walls and ceilings. That's why, when we pay money to get scared, we expect that at least some scenes and creatures will stalk us for three-four days and make us jump at a sudden ring or a gentle hand on our shoulder. Sadly, the scariest thing about Bhoot: Part 1 is the promise that there will be Bhoot: Part 2. nbsp;

[sanketsavaliya]

Shantanu & Nikhil, Ujjawal Dubey, Sahil Aneja, Dhruv Kapoor, and Raghavendra Rathore unveil their latest menswear collections on Day 1 of Van Heusen + GQ Fashion Nights 2017

GQ India, the ultimate authority on men’s fashion and lifestyle, and India’s leading lifestyle brand for professionals, Van Heusen, launched the 3rd edition of Van Heusen + GQ Fashion Nights on 11th November 2017 at Taj Land’s End, Mumbai. Day 1 of the glittering fashion soiree saw ace designers Shantanu & Nikhil, Dhruv Kapoor, Ujjawal Dubey, Sahil Aneja and Raghavendra Rathore showcase strong collections. While Radhika Apte was the showstopper for Shantanu & Nikhil, Ayushmann Khurana walked the ramp for new-wave designer Sahil Aneja. Anil Kapoor was at his suave best as he walked for Raghavendra Rathore and Dino Morea was the showstopper for Van Heusen.

The evening also witnessed Van Heusen showcase an exclusive premium line of luxury menswear. The Van Heusen SS 2018 Collection included Power Greens and featured the best of cottons, natural linens and fashion formals in fresh greens and cool mints for the confident man’s wardrobe.

Ever since its launch in 2008, GQ India has always been at the forefront of all things related to the modern Indian man. The last 9 years have seen GQ play an instrumental role in revolutionizing menswear in India, bringing about a tidal wave of change that has trickled down to the average man on the streets, further substantiated by Van Heusen + GQ Fashion Nights.

Known for their progressive take on fashion, brothers Shantanu & Nikhil opened Day 1 by unveiling their SS’18 collection Thar. Thar, as a collection, is an urban take on the timeless tribes of Rajasthan. The collections featured layered pleating, bold color blocking, long line cape structures, reinterpreted drapes, relaxed silhouettes and surface ornamentation with elements of tassels being interwoven to break away from any categorization of gender.

The ever-so talented actress – Radhika Apte walked the ramp with elegance and confidence. Styled by the expert designers and  Shantanu & Nikhil. To say that Radhika looked jaw dropping dead gorgeous would be an understatement. She expresses, “The designers are committed to nurture the Rajasthani heritage of India. When this whole look came together -I felt that comfort, I felt like I owned it. It was skin to me. Comfort is something I always vouch for, and I could completely relate to the theme of Thar. It really was a pleasure to walk for them at the Van Heusen + GQ Fashion Nights 2017 and showcase the reviving heritage.”

The second show titled ‘The Future’ featured Dhruv Kapoor, Ujjawal Dubey, and Sahil Aneja. Dhruv Kapoor’s collection reflected multiple belief systems – new and old, historical figures or even a future world. The collection revolved around the concept of putting things together belonging to multiple genres – similar to creating a look from second hand shops, army and navy surplus finds or simply fabric knocked up on a sewing machine backed by individualistic

taste with a sense of detachment and decisiveness. Ujjawal Dubey’s ‘Men of Metal’ collection showcased how the sheen of metallic yarns complement textured surfaces with the shades of deep greys and blacks adding to the intensity. On the other hand, Sahil Aneja’s collection was an amalgamation of street style and tailoring. Self-made printed fabric and text played an important part in the collection with surface designing being noteworthy throughout.

Talking about being the show stopper of Sahil Aneja’s show, an exhilarated Ayushmann Khurrana shared, “It felt great to walk the ramp for the versatile Sahil Aneja today. Fashion is all about comfort for me, and it was a pleasure to be a part of one of the most credible platform for menswear in India- Van Heusen + GQ Fashion Nights 2017. Happy to try out this new layered attire, loving the Fall-winter look. I am looking forward to come back again.”

Raghavendra Rathore, known for his sharp tailoring and classic cuts, brought Day 1 to a regal finish. Showcasing on the ramp after 2 years in Mumbai, Rathore’s collection ‘Bandhgala Alliance’ paid a tribute to the classic Indian garment which has now become synonymous world-wide with crisp tailoring and effortless style. He exemplified beautifully how one iconic piece of menswear formal clothing can also inspire an entire collection for women, classic in cut yet elegant in styling. In addition to the Bandhgala, there was an array of everlasting and sophisticated silhouettes like jodhpur breeches, waistcoats, kurtas, achkans, dresses, and evening wear tunics. For women, the clothes merged beautifully from structured to flowy shapes, carefully thought through by the choice of fabrics which were both sheer and dreamy and robust at the same time whilst presenting a sharp tailored cut.

Sharing his thoughts post the conclusion of Day 1 of Van Heusen & GQ Fashion Nights 2017, Che Kurrien, Editor, GQ said, “What we witnessed tonight is some of the best menswear ever seen on the ramp in India, with a variety of styles that underscores the depth and rage of the Fashion Nights platform”.

Mr. Abhay Bahugune, Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Van Heusen, Aditya Birla Fashion and Lifestyle Ltd. commented, “Van Heusen + GQ Fashion Nights was launched in 2015 and has since then created a new milestone in the men’s fashion industry in the country. We are happy to have taken the 3rd edition to new heights and unveiled a truly international collection. We chose the colour green as the theme because it is going to be really big, and in trend, and when combined with modern tailoring and eclectic accents it makes an impeccable impact.”

Talking about the show, Shantanu & Nikhil said, “Van Heusen + GQ Fashion Nights has given us just the right platform to do what we know best, which is to narrate the glorious chapters of India in its most modernistic way. Our third consecutive showcase at GQ for our SS’18 Collection Thar which celebrates #IndiaOnTheMove initiative of the millennials was no less than a surreal journey for us. We couldn’t have asked for a better unveiling!”

Speaking about the collection, Rathore said, “’Bandhgala Alliance’ is an unspoken union between the sexes over a garment so definitive yet so versatile. With focus right down to the minute, and well thought out customization of all intricate details, the collection evolves and redefines the contemporary man and woman’s formal and evening wear wardrobe. The surface

  embellishments have a timeless and lustrous quality to them, further adding subtle richness and overall appeal.”

Sahil Aneja added, “Van Heusen + GQ Fashion Nights is undoubtedly one of the best platforms for men who are fashion aficionados. I firmly believe an association with GQ will help me develop further, and expand my horizons as I compete in this ever-expanding, vibrant and exciting menswear industry.”

Ujjawal Dubey said, “It is exciting to be back at Van Heusen + GQ Fashion Nights this year. At Antar-Agni, we love GQ and believe that this is the best platform when it comes to men’s fashion.”

Dhruv Kapoor commented, “It is always an honour being a part of the GQ family! The platform remains unmatched.”

The tailored platform for menswear fashion created by Van Heusen and GQ India, showcased a plethora of style and appeal. The night saw unique trends that were urbane and slick, catering proficiently to the modern Indian men.

Day 1 of Van Heusen + GQ Fashion Nights 2017 Shantanu & Nikhil, Ujjawal Dubey, Sahil Aneja, Dhruv Kapoor, and Raghavendra Rathore unveil their latest menswear collections on Day 1 of Van Heusen + GQ Fashion Nights 2017…

[doonitedin]

COVID-19: Bombay HC raises concern over crowding in public places, says it should be controlled

COVID-19: Bombay HC raises concern over crowding in public places, says it should be controlled

The Bombay High Court said the government, authorities and citizens should learn from the earlier experience as the third wave of the COVID-19 was “knocking at our doors”. The Bombay High Court on Tuesday raised concern over crowds assembling at public places in Mumbai and said if it was not controlled or restricted, the city would face a similar situation as earlier this year when the number of…